The A. F. Davis
Diary for the Campaign of 1864
Captain 7th
Regiment Mississippi Infantry
Company K "Quitman Rifles"
Captain Augustus Fredrick Davis chronicled the activities of his company in the 7th Reg't Miss. Inf. in the High Pressure Brigade of the Army of Tennessee. The diary starts with the retreat to Dalton and the beginning of the Georgia Campaign of 1864.
Davis had joined the 7th Miss. in the summer of 1861 as a volunteer in the "Quitman Rifles” in Capt. Huff's Company 7th Reg't Miss. Volunteers and rose through the ranks to 1st Sgt and 2nd Lt. On December 10, 1862 he was promoted to Captain by General Patton Anderson. The Army was nearing it's first major battle in months at Murfreesboro, TN. at the end of December and into the first days of 1863 and Chalmer's "High Pressure Brigade" was about to lose its leader to wounds at Murfreesboro.
The
brigade would continue to be in the thick of things through 1863 and would find
themselves still in the mess in the spring of 1864. The 7th, 9th, 10th, 41st,
and 44th Miss along with the 9th Batt'n Miss.
Sharpshooters and Garrity's Ala. Battery had made it from Murfreesboro through
Chickamauga together and they would continue to fight until the end.
The diary entries start with descriptions of the weather conditions and the monotony of camp life…drills, wash day, picket duty, target shooting, sham battles, inspections, and finally some days just "nothing doing."
Starting at the end of April and the first of May the diary starts becoming more foreboding. As the "Yankey" army nears Resaca the entries are more serious and little mention is made of weather conditions.
From the early May entries about "the Cleveland Road", "Tunnel Hill", "Potatoe Hill", until the battle at New Hope Church, each day is chronicled. There are only two gaps in the daily entries: one at May 11-12 and another at May 15 to May 22nd. These missing pages may have been lost during the days following the battle at Resaca or could just be omitted in the copy used for this transcription.
In
any case the life of a soldier in the constant line of battle from Resaca to New
Hope Church to the Battles near Kennesaw Mountain and Marietta is clearly
chronicled. As the Captain of this
decimated regiment Davis tells of the endless encounters with the enemy in full
charges, cannonading and skirmishes, as well as, cavalry dashes that drove in
the pickets and foretold skirmishing on the whole line of battle.
His narrative ends on May 31st with an entry that has become
common; the death of a fellow officer in the High Pressure Brigade, Captain
Wilkinson of the 44th Miss.
Our
Hope is that the entries now recorded will in some way add to the memory of
these young men of South Mississippi "lest we forget" their sacrifice.
7th
Reg't Miss. Inf. History Project
2285
Brandon Court N.E.
Marietta,
GA 30066
Diary of
Captain Augustus Fredrick Davis for the Campaign of 1864
Transcribed
by Ronald J. Skellie from a copy of the original provided by Diane Speyerer,
relative of Captain Augustus Frederick Davis, Co. K "Quitman Rifles" 7th
Reg't Miss Inf.
January
27th 1862
Today
is Sunday, and I am to leave tomorrow for the wars, And should I never
return remember the writer of this.
I will remember you
Though miles apart we be
To war: To war we go
I have written all that would interest you
So Farewll for this time.
Yours
[signed] A.F. Davis
Diary of A. F. Davis for the Campaign of 1864
March
1st 64
Tus
All quiet; at Dalton, Geo.
" 2d
"
W
Cold and
clear
" 3d
"
Thu
"
Company Drill
" 4
"
Fri
Windy "
" 5
" Sat
Cold Wash day
" 6
" Sun
Pleasant, Went to Preaching
" 7
" Mon
Cloudy Company
Drill
"
8 "
Tus
Clear
Went on Picket
" 9
" W
Cloudy Brig.
Drill
"
10 "
Thu
Pleasant Target Shooting
"
11 "
Fri
Clear review by Genl Hood
"
12 "
Sat Clear
Wash day
"
13 "
Sun "
Preaching
"
14 "
Mon "
"
at night
"
15 "
Tus Cold,
Battalion Drill
"
16 "
Wed
"
Corps Sham Battle
"
17 "
Ths "
"
Div Drill
"
18 "
Fri
"
Went on Picket
"
19 "
Sat "
Relieved from Picket
"
20 "
Sun Cool Preaching
"
21 "
Mon Cold Snow at night
[Page
2]
March
22
Tus Snow
three inches deep
23 Wes
Cold Snow melting
24
Ths
" snow
at night
25 Fri
Cool & cloudy Nothing Doing
26
Sat
Clear
27
Sun Clear
& cool Went to Preaching
28
Mon Windy
& Rain, Went to Picket
29
Tus Cloudy
& cool, Relieved from Picket
30
Wes Cool
Battalion Drill
31st
Ths Rain
Target Shooting & Batt. Drill
April
1st
Fri
Cool & Cloudy Co & Brig. Drill
2
Sat " Wash
day
3
Sun
Pleasant preaching, Rain at night
4
Mon
Cloudy Nothing to do
5
Tus Target-Shooting
& Brig drill
6
Wes
Pleasant, Went on Picket
7
Ths Clear Relieved from picket; Sham Battle by Hardee's Corps
8
Fri
Windy Fast day by Pres. Davis
9
Sat Cloudy Wash Day
10
Sun Windy Brig Inspection Preaching
11
Mon Clear
Co & Batt. Drill
12
Tus Rain
Co Drill
[page
3]
April
13
Wes
Clear Co & Brig Drill
Preaching at night
14
Ths
Cloudy Co Went on Picket
15
Fri
"
Relieved from picket
16
Sat
Clear Wash Day Preaching
17
Sun
Brig Inspt.-Went to Babtising
18
Mon
Order for Review Revoked
19
Tus
Army Review by Genl Johnson
20
Wes
Co & Brig drill
21
Ths
Went on Picket
22
Fri
Relieved from Picket Co & Brig drill preaching at night
23
Sat
Wash day
24
Sun
Went to Preaching, The Div Camp near us
25
Mon
Officer of the day. Preaching
26
Tus
Co & Batt drill, Preaching at Night
27
Wes
Nothing Doing
28
Ths
Brig Drill & Babtising
29
Fri
Ordered to be ready for action in a moments warning.
The order
revoked
Brig drill by Col Joh[ns]
30
Sat
Wash Day Mustered for Pay By Maj Richards
May
1st
Sun
Preaching [2]3 babtised witnessed by 5000
2
Mon
Ordered to be ready in a moments warning caused by a cavalry
dash
on our left
[page 4]
May
3
Tus
Went to town. Brig Drill preaching at Night
4
Wed
On Detail to work on Fortifications, A dash of the Yankey cavalry
on
the Cleveland Road Our Brig
to<sic> ordered to be ready for action In the evening quiet
5
Ths
All quiet until about dark when orders came to be ready for action
Waggons
were packed, Guns stacked.After dark we moved off in the direction of Potatoe
Hill & camp for the remainder of the night
Near
breastworks
6
Fri
Went into Camp near Potatoe Hill
7
Sat
Cleared up Camp Ground the Enemy advancing
8
Sun
Went on Picket on Spring Place Road canonnading & skirmishing
on
Tunnel Hill Road
9
Mon
Relieved from Picket, Still skirmishing. Pickets driven in one
volley
from works Our Regt & 10 Miss
are in reserve for Brig
10
Tus
Left our position at 2 o'clock AM for Resaca.
March within
3
miles of the latter place & counter march camp 4 miles from Dalton
Heavy
Rain
11
Wes
Passed through Dalton Camp
near our old position, soon ordered
to….[Section
missing]
[page
5]
[13]
[Fri]
In the evening marched through woods further towards Resaca
and
Bivouacked <sic> for the night
14
Sat
Left camp early and took position in rear of Genl Walthall's
Brig
to support his line. Our Picket driven in about 12 o'clock
"noon"
and a sharp engagement ensued. A sharp fight was kept up for 8 hours. Our
regiment lost 30 wounded & 6 killed. After
night
the
dead were buried and the boys entrenched themselves.
15
Sun
Still in position continued cannonade and heavy skirmishing.
The
troops on our left charged the enemy's works were repulsed
with
considerable loss. Just after the troops in our front were
withdrawn
and soon our Brig was in position in double quick The
enemy
discovered the move and they went to shelling [rapid]
and
advanced their line and occupied the works.
Marched all
night
Stopped some 10 miles below Resaca & go to sleep
[Section
missing]
May
[22]
Sun
hours for men shooting their guns.
23
Mon
Moved 3 or 4 miles east and went into camp.
24
Tus
Left camp early march 10 or 12 miles
25
Wes
Left early, march to New Hope Church formed line of battle.
Our Regt deployed as skirmishers Lay under arms all night-Some heavy
fighting on our left.
See
Page 88
[page
6]
88
May
26
Ths
Moved to the right to support Gibson's Brig, ordered further to the
right
took position and went to ditching. Skirmishing on whole line.
27
Fri
In the ditches- The yanks
pegging away with cannon & Rifles.
Two
men from our Reg't wounded. Ordered
to reinforce the right before day. Genl Cleburne's Div engaged with the
enemy-the enemy repulsed. A good many prisoners taken.
28
Sat
Left our position and went 3 or 4 miles to the right then returned
to
the rear of our old position. All
go to sleep. Remained until
before
day.
29
Sun
Took positions in ditches formerly occupied by Gen'l Stovall's
Brig.
Skirmishing on the whole line, a general engagement on
the
left. The enemy repulsed. In the ditches all day
30
Mon
More quiet than common But Skirmishing
31
Tus
Still in the ditches 44 Miss Regt charged the enemy's pickets. Capt
Wilkinson
[on picket crossed out]
[page
7]
May
31
Killed.
[Diary
ends here]